Spring Break
Boyers donate $30,000 to baseball
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Sports
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The Boyers were in attendance at the 2008 Fourth Annual Meet the Leathernecks Media Day Sunday. The couple served as keynote speakers as a part of the media day events.
"We want to see the Western Illinois baseball program compete as a first-rate Division I program," Boyer said. "We asked Stan (Hyman) and Tim (Van Alstine) about ways we can help the overall program. The budget, the stadium and scholarships are our main focus. Relationships are really what builds the donations at Western."
Western baseball coach Stan Hyman thanked the Boyers at the media day, held at The Forum, and expressed gratitude on behalf of the baseball program to the largest crowd - 160 people - of any baseball media day.
"I can't begin to thank Andrea and Al for their friendship, support and confidence in our team," Hyman said. "Their extraordinary monetary donations pale in comparison to their devotion to the baseball team and the university as a whole."
In addition to a day of thanks, the media day also served as a day of recognition for the Leathernecks, who received the Kathy Orban community service award and the highest GPA award for the Fall 2007 Semester.
"We don't just recruit players at Western, we recruit families," Hyman said. "The chemistry and closeness of this ball club exceeds any other team we've had. We've done it the right way and continue to graduate players at the high rate of 93 percent."
The day also introduced the players and the coaches for the upcoming 2008 season in the Summit League.
"I am very excited about the upcoming season because we have a great group of very talented guys," Hyman said. "Oral Roberts may have dominated the Mid-Con, but we are ready to win the first Summit League Championship. We have a very tough schedule this season. Twenty-eight conference games and four-game series will really test our ball club and we will meet that challenge."
The 2008 Western baseball schedule will open Feb. 23-24 at Alabama State.
-Western Illinois University
Athletics Media Services
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